<!DOCTYPE sect3 PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.5//EN"
"http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd" [
<!ENTITY % darktable_dtd SYSTEM "../../dtd/darktable.dtd">
%darktable_dtd;
]>
<sect3 status="draft" id="raster_mask">
<title>Raster mask</title>
<indexterm>
<primary>masks</primary>
<secondary>raster masks</secondary>
</indexterm>
<para>
When a <quote>drawn mask</quote> or a <quote>parametric mask</quote> is active
the final mask can be reused in other modules. This works because all the shapes from the drawn mask
and all the blend functions from the parametric mask of a module assemble a final mask,
which internally is stored as a raster image and made accessible to other modules.
</para>

Thanks very much ….I did understand the concept just not the implementation I think I have it now…wasn’t sure how the tool worked…I thought you had to create a raster mask after creating your mask
by clicking raster but that is not the correct sequence of how to use it…thanks for your comments

It seems a bit buggy still to me. Although it is offered as an option in most modules not all modules show all the masks. The exposure mask was available in most modules but i added a couple of more parametric masks in other modules and they were not available in the dropdown for the raster mask…only exposure but then I went to the channel mixer and all the masks that i had added were available in the drop down. This might just be the windows build that I have or it may be early days for the raster masks…I may try again in a systematic way to recreate this so I can post it but that is what I found in attempting to use it. One other point is that you would have to go back to the original module that you masked to display the mask as that option disappears when you select raster in a module…again maybe I missed something but that is how is is working for me…

Although it is offered as an option in most modules not all modules show all the masks.

As I said, you can only use a mask in modules coming at a later point in the pipe. In case you don’t know, the processing order is bottom to top in the list of modules. So everything you do in levels won’t shop up in, say, exposure, but in lowpass. That is an integral restriction of the design and how darktable works and can’t be changed easily. If it’s possible for you make sure to create the mask in a module that is coming early and reuse it later on.

Thanks I read your earlier post as later meaning as in later in your workflow not the pipeline. Thanks that likely explains what I was observing. I guess the best way to determine the order is to select the active modules and see what order they are in , in that list. It would still be nice to be able to display the mask in the module that you are using to confirm that you are masking what you believe you are from the rastered one chosen…I know you could go and check the module you have selected but that might be cumbersome. Thanks for taking the time to clarify.

So enabling every module and then going to the active modules tab…this should reflect the Pixelpipe…List in file is top to bottom so in order of last to first in the order of modules processed…I think this should be accurate…DT Pixelpipe.pdf (52.0 KB)